KUCHING: Malaysians must move away from the mindset that nation-building rests solely on the shoulders of the government and instead recognise that every citizen has a role to play in shaping the country’s future.
Datuk Dr Anis Yusal Yusoff, executive director of the International Institute of Public Policy and Management (INPUMA), Universiti Malaya, said that with the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) only recently tabled in July, its success hinges on shared responsibility.
“Everybody has a role to play. It is not just about waiting for the elected representatives to do everything,” he said in an interview on Friday.
He further said one of the problems often seen in Malaysian society is the tendency of people expecting politicians to shoulder responsibilities that actually fall under other institutions.
“Elected representatives have their roles. A state assemblyman drafts state enactments and serves as a lawmaker at the state level. A Member of Parliament (MP), meanwhile, serves as a lawmaker at the national level.
“For instance, if you elect someone as a MP, you cannot expect them to always be present in the constituency and fixing the issues of clogged drains.
“Their (MPs) role is to represent you in Parliament, to make laws at the national level. The same applies to state assemblypersons, who are responsible for state-level enactments,” he said.
He viewed that basic services such as road maintenance, waste collection or drainage should fall under the responsibility of local councils.
“Therefore, the people must know where to channel their demands. If they understand this, they will know that some issues are not the job of the elected representatives, but the responsibility of the local authority,” he added.
Anis also called for greater political literacy among Malaysians so that people have a better understanding of their rights.
“People must understand their rights as voters and the exact roles of their representatives,” he said.
In Sarawak, he said some constituencies are so vast that one needs to take a boat to get around.
“Imagine expecting an MP to come back every week during Parliament sessions — it is challenging for them too,” he said.
On the other hand, he said leaders too should never underestimate the thinking capacity of ordinary citizens, including those in rural areas.
“I have observed and like today during the public discourse, someone came prepared with typed data on economic issues in Sarawak.
“While another man, who used to be a driver, gave us data he had collected. They surprised us with their level of thinking,” he said.
Thus, he said it is very important to respect grassroots voices and factor them into policy planning.
Turning to the 13MP, Anis explained why such five-year plans were necessary despite the annual budgets from the government.
“The annual budget is about operational costs – salaries, allocations, running expenses. But long-term planning is the responsibility of the Ministry of Economy, not the Ministry of Finance.
“The five-year plan allows us to think ahead, for instance, how many schools we need, how many teachers must be trained, and how many will retire. It ensures continuity in development,” he said.
While acknowledging that 13MP remains in its early framework of intention stage, Anis insisted it must remain people-centred.
“Take as example, if we leave everything to technology or artificial intelligence (AI), we will lose the human element. AI has no moral compass, no soul. That is why authentic leadership and integrity must guide implementation,” he said.
Earlier on Friday, experts and representatives from various sectors took part in a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) chaired by Anis at the Sarawak State Library.
The discussion formed part of a nationwide series of public discourse sessions organised by the Ministry of Economy in collaboration with INPUMA, aimed at gathering expert and public input to ensure the successful implementation of the 13MP.
